Pixalo Photography Community - View Single Post

Rob Barron · 28-03-2007, 16:57

I find this kind of thing tears me in two as I have conflicting feelings. On the one hand I love dolphins, have swum underwater with wild dolphins and just had a fantastic time connecting with one while diving off Swanage Bay. I am against the mistreatment of any animal, be they dolphins or whatever else.

On the other side of the coin, I do not gush over animals, I eat them most meals so it would be a bit hypocritical to then be cooing over how cute they are and things. So on the surface of things I definitely hate what i saw in that video, despite the fact it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.

The problem is, I also believe strongly that we should not apply morality values onto other cultures just because they conflict with our own. I hate it when other nationals tell me how I should live me life as a Brit so I cannot justify telling other people how they should behave on the grounds of morality. Most Japanese see a dolphin as 'just an over-grown fish!' which despite being wrong biologically highlights their dispassionate approach to wildlife compared to the 'nation of animal lovers' that the Brits are supposed to be.

Dolphins are senscient beings and so feel pain both physically and emotionally, hence they feel fear as well as feeling the pain of being hacked with machetes and things as seen here. However, they see dolphins simply as 'food' and the video commentator is wrong to say the term 'whale meat' is misapplied. It is wrong if you use English but in Japanese the term 'whale' is understood to mean any of the species that we would separate into whales and dolphins. Whale meat and dolphin meat is one and the same as they eat it the same way.

It is very hard to understand how they can treat dolphins like this but then I guess it is hard for me to understand how Spaniards can run bulls through the streets and then when they are exhausted stick swords in them and let them die slowly. By the same token, Koreans eat dogs, the French inject frogs with hormones to make their hind legs artificially large and then hack their legs off while still alive to create the delicacy we know as frogs legs, Swiss and other Europeans consider horse meat a delicacy and we Brits cram thousands of chickens in small cages giving them no room to even fall down when they die and pretend that we got rid of cock fighting, dog fighting and so on years ago when in fact it happens in many rural communities throughout Britain.

Most people love to see dolphins but are we being somewhat blinkered in recoiling with horror when we see this treatment being handed out to them whilst ignoring the goings on in our own back yards?

Food for thought anyway if you'll excuse the pun.

Cheers,
Rob

ps I HAVE signed the petition but if I am honest it is to assuage my own conscience more than any belief that anything will actually be done about it.

28-03-2007, 16:57	#3 (permalink)
Rob Barron Loves the place Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Poole, Dorset Posts: 5,386	Re: Dolphins I find this kind of thing tears me in two as I have conflicting feelings. On the one hand I love dolphins, have swum underwater with wild dolphins and just had a fantastic time connecting with one while diving off Swanage Bay. I am against the mistreatment of any animal, be they dolphins or whatever else. On the other side of the coin, I do not gush over animals, I eat them most meals so it would be a bit hypocritical to then be cooing over how cute they are and things. So on the surface of things I definitely hate what i saw in that video, despite the fact it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. The problem is, I also believe strongly that we should not apply morality values onto other cultures just because they conflict with our own. I hate it when other nationals tell me how I should live me life as a Brit so I cannot justify telling other people how they should behave on the grounds of morality. Most Japanese see a dolphin as 'just an over-grown fish!' which despite being wrong biologically highlights their dispassionate approach to wildlife compared to the 'nation of animal lovers' that the Brits are supposed to be. Dolphins are senscient beings and so feel pain both physically and emotionally, hence they feel fear as well as feeling the pain of being hacked with machetes and things as seen here. However, they see dolphins simply as 'food' and the video commentator is wrong to say the term 'whale meat' is misapplied. It is wrong if you use English but in Japanese the term 'whale' is understood to mean any of the species that we would separate into whales and dolphins. Whale meat and dolphin meat is one and the same as they eat it the same way. It is very hard to understand how they can treat dolphins like this but then I guess it is hard for me to understand how Spaniards can run bulls through the streets and then when they are exhausted stick swords in them and let them die slowly. By the same token, Koreans eat dogs, the French inject frogs with hormones to make their hind legs artificially large and then hack their legs off while still alive to create the delicacy we know as frogs legs, Swiss and other Europeans consider horse meat a delicacy and we Brits cram thousands of chickens in small cages giving them no room to even fall down when they die and pretend that we got rid of cock fighting, dog fighting and so on years ago when in fact it happens in many rural communities throughout Britain. Most people love to see dolphins but are we being somewhat blinkered in recoiling with horror when we see this treatment being handed out to them whilst ignoring the goings on in our own back yards? Food for thought anyway if you'll excuse the pun. Cheers, Rob ps I HAVE signed the petition but if I am honest it is to assuage my own conscience more than any belief that anything will actually be done about it. __________________ Rob Barron robbarron@aol.com If you look down on other people, don't expect them to look up to you!